News

It’s no surprise the market finally started to heat up for Claremont in March. Since inventory once again remains low, prices are up considerably from the previous year, and should continue to keep the market moving in an upward direction. On average, homes are selling very close to their asking prices, and well-priced/well-marketed homes often aren’t lasting much more than a week before selling. Check out our latest chart inside.

Over the span of three decades, the Inland Valley Repertory Theatre (IVRT) has given the region’s budding stars a taste of Broadway ambition. The company’s mission, to provide quality theatrical training to those of all ages, includes putting on professional-grade productions of some of the Great White Way’s most iconic classics.
It’s not all glitz and glamour. The nonprofit theater group must work hard to get to curtain call, relying on the generous donations of others

Claremont residents are being called on to help the City of Trees make the list in the 2014 Cool California City Challenge, statewide competition supported by the State of California Air Resources Board to motivate and reward residents for reducing their city’s household energy and motor vehicle emissions.
Participating households will be entered in drawings for great prizes.

A second public workshop addressing the Foothill Boulevard Master Plan will take place on Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Padua Room at the Hughes Center, 1700 Danbury Rd.
The first workshop was held last month with more than 50 people adding their input on design elements to be incorporated into different segments of the business Claremont roadway.

The “Fabulous, Frivolous Follies” has certainly become a mainstay not only at Mt. San Antonio Gardens, but also for Claremonters who enjoy classic, sometimes old-school, and definitely silly original entertainment. The 2014 version did not disappoint during the three performances last week, April 3-5.
This 11th annual variety show first started in 1997 when people realized the talent pool that resides at the Gardens each year. The faces sometimes change, but the enthusiasm and excitement for the spotlight never ceases. Nothing was off limits. The Garden Belles, above, started the show with a wonderful rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.” Be sure to check out our photo gallery from their Thursday performance. COURIER photo/Peter Weinberger

Peppertree Square appears unchanged on the business front. The shopping center, located on the southeast corner of Indian Hill and Arrow Highway, remains busy, but without an anchor despite promising prospects.
While officials remain mum about the procurement of a major tenant, further changes to the already extensively renovated marketplace are on the horizon.
A preliminary architectural review will be held on Wednesday, April 9, to discuss the addition of a 6000-square-foot building on the side of the complex as well as to review other architectural fixes to complement recent renovations.

Pride and prejudice were the winning topics this month for two Claremonters on their way towards the Toastmasters International Speech Contest in August.
Claremont Graduate University student Nestor Ramirez took pride in inspiring his audience with “My Fight for an American Life.” This patriotic speech chronicled his against-all-odds story of becoming an American citizen, soldier, and scholar. Deena Benjamin’s speech, “A Change of Heart,” was an insightful oratory on how racial prejudice can be generational but also remediated. She used examples from her own experiences as well as from Broadway show tunes.

It’s back to the drawing board for the Claremont Unified School District for the former La Puerta school site, located at 2475 N. Forbes Ave., after the developer, Brandywine & Associates, rescinds their offer for purchase.
In November, the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education approved the sale of the 9.7-acre parcel to the highest bidder, Brandywine Homes of Irvine. The sale was set to rake in $18,875,000 for the school district, pending escrow.

It been a tough winter season for skiers and lift operators alike at the Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts this year. Even with a couple of brief, yet cold storms that blew through the area during the week, there was little help covering the mountains with enough snow to ski on. Even at the bottom of the ski lifts at over 6000 feet in elevation, there was barely any snow on the ground. The weather during the week will continue to get warmer, with a high near 80 degrees on Sunday. COURIER photo/Peter Weinberger

The seniors of Mt. San Antonio Gardens retirement community will take to the stage starting this Thursday for the 11th annual “Fabulous, Frivolous Follies” performance. Shows run at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 at 3 p.m. and at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5 in the Gardens’ Assembly Hall.

USGS is reporting a moderate earthquake in eastern Los Angeles County. Local reports say it came in two waves with the second wave being the stronger. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the temblor was magnitude 5.3 and occurred 1 mile from La Habra, where a smaller earthquake was recorded earlier in the day.

Planning your ideal wedding is about pursuing your dreams. You start with a castle in the air, a fantasy of the perfect nuptials you likely began constructing long before you met your soul mate. As in every flight of imagination, some of the details may be a bit hazy.
Once you are engaged and a date is set, however, things start getting real. Concrete. You have to make countless decisions, from dress to décor, from menu to venue and from flowers to favors. Time is limited and, most likely, so is your budget.

Police and L. A. County Sheriff's deputies use dogs to search the cargo on a Greyhound bus parked at the Claremont station on Friday. Police received a call that a bomb was on the bus forcing evacuations of the bus and several area businesses. After about 3 hours no explosives were found and the street was re-opened. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

Only about 65 Claremont residents showed up at Taylor Hall on Monday night as the Claremont City Council made a major move on the potential purchase of the city’s water system, proceeding forward with financing options.
At a town hall meeting in November, officials estimated that current revenue generated from water could support as much as an $80 million purchase price for the water system. Should the water system and rights value come in higher than $80 million, the city would need to look to bonds to fund the overage. This week, the council unanimously agreed to explore the possibility of obtaining a voter-approved revenue bond if, indeed, the purchase is deemed more expensive.